NOTES: Just some more fun with little Ben and Julie. Does it bring to mind an event from later in Ben's life?

DISCLAIMER: Please don't tell Alliance I'm doing this. It's a secret.

Rated G

UNDERCOVER PARTNERS

By Mary

I had just gotten into bed for the night and was listening to the sounds of the night while I waited for my grandparents to tuck me in. In a few days we were going to be leaving Inuvik to settle in Alert, despite my fervent protests. I had discovered quickly, however, that when you're eight years old, your opinion in such matters doesn't carry much weight, so I had resolved myself to the move. I listened to the noises that night with special intent, wondering how the night sounds in Alert might differ from those of Inuvik. Suddenly I heard a noise which didn't belong with the others.

"Ben! Benny!"

Someone was calling my name in a whisper, but it wasn't Grandma or Grandpa. *Could it be Mum?* I wondered. *Am I imagining her voice again?* But then I heard a rap at the window and turned to see a face peering into my room. It was Julie's face straining to be seen through my bedroom window as she stood on tiptoe outside the cabin and pressed her face to the pane of glass.

I hopped out of bed and over to the window, where I struggled to lift it open a bit wider so that I could talk to Julie. "What're you doin' out there, Julie?" I asked her once the stubborn window finally flew up noisily.

"My mum said you were leaving. I came to see ya."

"I'm not leavin' yet. It's bedtime."

"Can I come in, Benny?" she asked, shivering a little in the chill of the night air.

I didn't get a chance to answer her. "Why aren't you in bed, Mister?" I heard my grandmother bellow from the doorway of the room. Julie heard her as well and ducked out of sight underneath the window. I held my breath in anticipation as Grandma came over, pulled me aside, and lowered the window.

"It was hot in here, Grandma," I explained after she stepped back and glared at me.

She took me close and felt my forehead and my cheeks. "It doesn't feel too warm in here to me. Are you not feeling well, honey?"

"I feel okay."

"Hmm, you don't appear feverish."

"Can't you leave the window open, Grandma? Please?"

"I left it open a crack. You'll be able to hear the night noises, if that's what you're worried about. Get into bed, please."

"But I could hear 'em even better if it's opened all the way like before."

"No. It's too cold tonight for a wide open window."

"But it's not cold. I was hot, I said."

"Besides, the screen's been taken out. I'm not gonna have wild creatures coming into the house. Now, scoot into bed. No arguments."

"But, Grandma..."

"No more 'buts' out of you, young man, or I'll give your butt what-for!" she warned sternly.

"But..."

"Uh-uh-uh! What did I just say?" Grandma led me across the room by my ear, bent me over the edge of my bed, and gave my behind a solid smack with her open hand. "Under the covers now, Ben!" she ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," I answered, slowly climbing into bed as I massaged the sting from my bottom.

"What's all the commotion in here?" Grandpa asked upon entering the room while I settled into bed.

"You'll have to ask Ben about that," Grandma replied as she started to pull the blankets over me. "He's not being very cooperative."

"Eh, buddy? Is that true?"

"No, Grandpa."

"No?" he repeated, cocking his head at me.

"I was just 'splaining to Grandma about why I opened the window and she yelled at me and then she spanked me, Grandpa!" I answered indignantly, leaving out a few facts, which I figured weren't all that important.

"Spanked you, eh?" he said as he approached and gently usurped Grandma's place, tucking me in. "Lie down, Son." I obeyed and he sat on the bed beside me. "Spanked you for no reason?"

"Uh huh." Needless to say, I avoided acknowledging my grandmother's presence as I made these false accusations.

"I see." He squinted his eyes and frowned slightly at me. "That doesn't sound like your grandma. Are you sure you didn't do something to deserve a spank?"

"I didn't," I whined.

"Perhaps we should ask Grandma about it, then, eh?"

I frowned and lowered my eyes. "I remember something now, Grandpa," I finally admitted.

"What's that?"

"Grandma said I wasn't s'posed to say 'but' any more."

"'But'?"

"Uh huh. Or she'd give my butt a what-fer."

"Ah. So I take it you did say 'but' after she told you not to?"

I nodded contritely and lifted my eyes to him expectantly. "I didn't mean to be naughty, Grandpa."

"Then when your grandma tells you to do something, you do it. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," I gulped.

"Good man."

"Grandma?" I said softly, without looking at her.

"Yes, honey?"

"I'm sorry." There was no answer as I continued to avoid her eyes, until Grandma leaned over and kissed my forehead. I looked up and returned her smile with one of my own. "Are you not mad any more?"

"I'm not mad." She tapped my nose, then kissed my cheek. "Sweet dreams, honey."

"You too, Grandma."

As soon as my grandparents had turned out the light and left the room, Julie was back at my window, calling to me softly, yet urgently. "Benny! Lemme come in."

"I can't," I called back as loudly as I could without risking being heard by my grandparents. "I'll get in trouble."

"Please, Ben," she begged, on the verge of tears. "I'm scared out here alone."

"You shouldn't of come. Go back to your house. You'll get in trouble for coming here in the middle of the night."

"I can't. It's too far. I don't know how to get there."

"How come? You got here."

"I went with my mum to get Daddy from work. We was real close to your house, so I left and came over."

"Oh my gosh! Julie, they're gonna be real mad at you."

"Please, Ben," she whimpered, now crying outright. "I'll be real quiet and won't get you in trouble. I promise."

I couldn't say no. She was my best friend and she was scared. I couldn't bear to hear her cry, so, as quietly as possible, I crept to the window and endeavored to open it just enough to allow Julie's small body to pass through. I finally won the battle as it rose suddenly and with the typical accompanying loud rumble. "Hurry up," I urged Julie as I reached my arms out to help her into the room, fearing my grandparents had heard the noise and would soon appear to investigate.

No sooner had Julie landed with a thud on the floor than I heard footsteps approaching my room. "Come on," I said, and ushered Julie over to my bed. I got in and pushed her underneath the blankets, snugly beside me, reckoning that as long as it was dark in the room, this would be an effective subterfuge. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep while I listened to my grandparents enter the room.

Neither of them spoke right away, but I heard my grandmother sigh and walk across the room to close the window, which I had left wide open in my rush to hide Julie. Seconds later, I felt a firm tug at my ear, followed closely by a sharp warning from Grandpa.

"One more strike and you're out, buddy. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir," I mumbled in reply, not even opening my eyes. I prayed silently that he and Grandma would leave quickly, because if they discovered Julie was in my bed, there'd be hell to pay. They left without another word and, as I lay there, relieved at having escaped detection, I became aware of Julie's voice beckoning me once more.

"Hey, Ben," her muffled voice called from under the blankets.

"What, Julie?"

"Are they gone?"

"Uh huh."

"That was close."

I lifted the covers and scooched under them till I lay, face to face, with Julie. "What'd you come here for, anyway?" I asked, glad to see her, but uneasy about the trouble her visit was causing.

"My mum said you were moving away. Are you, Ben?"

"Yeah."

"Where're you goin' to?"

"Alert."

"What's that?"

"It's way far up north."

"Real far?"

"Uh huh."

"Will I still get to play with you sometimes?"

"I dunno."

Julie was silent for a moment, then stated, "I don't want you to move there."

"Me either, but Grandma says we have to."

"It's not fair. Kids always hafta do stuff they don't wanna do."

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna be sad when you're gone, Benny." She started to cry again.

"Please don't cry, Julie," I begged, putting my arm around her and holding her close. "It makes me sad when you cry."

"Are you gonna get a different girlfriend when you move, instead of me?" she asked, wiping away tears.

"Do you want me to keep being your boyfriend?"

"Can you, even way up north?"

"I guess so. I can ask Grandpa. He'll know."

"Okay." She finally smiled and I instinctively covered her smiling lips with mine and we both puckered for a long, innocent kiss, safely hidden from adult eyes. Or so we thought. Right after we simultaneously smacked our lips against each other to end the kiss, I felt a hand pressing upon me.

"Benton Fraser!"

I hesitated for a brief moment, frozen by sudden fear. "I'm almost asleep, Grandma," I said, remaining out of sight under the covers.

"Who were you talking to?"

"You, Grandma."

"Before me, wise acre, who were you talking to?"

"Um, nobody."

"I heard you, Ben. You were talking to somebody when I came into the room."

"Maybe I was talkin' in my sleep, Grandma."

I heard my grandmother switch on the bedside lamp. "Come out from underneath those blankets, please."

I carefully squirmed up the bed until my head poked out from the covers, but I kept a firm grip on the blankets to ensure they did not slip off of Julie. "I won't talk any more, Grandma. Okay?"

"Get out of bed for a minute, please."

"Huh?"

"Do as I say."

Well, it was pretty clear the jig was up. But I had to keep the innocent act going for as long as possible. I slipped off the bed while, at the same time, I non-chalantly bunched up the blankets that had covered me, trying to camouflage the lump that was Julie, then stood before my grandmother, hoping to block her view of the bed.

"What's that in your bed?" Grandma asked, turning me around to face it.

"I don't see anything, Grandma."

"You don't see that big lump in the middle of your bed?"

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that. What is it?"

"I dunno. The covers are all messed up in a lump, I guess."

"I'm losing my patience with you, Ben," Grandma sighed heavily. "You haven't given me an honest answer yet. Now, I want you to tell me right now what that is in your bed."

Tears started to form in my eyes as I realized the full weight of my hopeless situation. I hung my head to hide my quivering lip, and made no answer to my grandmother.

"I'm waiting," she reminded me with obvious irritation.

"I can't, Grandma," I whispered softly.

"You can and you will, young man -- or else."

"Or else what?" I asked tremulously.

"All right, I've had enough of this nonsense, Ben. Show me what's in your bed, or I will remove the blankets to see for myself."

"I really can't, Grandma," I protested, trying to stifle a sob. I just couldn't turn Julie in -- not even to my grandparents.

"Very well. We'll discuss this later. But right now..." she pulled the covers off Julie and didn't seem at all surprised at what she found. "...right now, your parents are waiting for you in the other room," she told Julie calmly and offered a hand to help her off the bed. She held Julie's hand and walked her toward the door. "Where do you think you're going?" Grandma inquired of me sternly as I started to get back into bed.

"To bed."

"No. You'll come with us."

My "yes, Ma'am" was inaudible, but I obediently followed Grandma to the outer room, where Mrs. Frobisher rushed to take Julie into her arms. Buck stood beside them, looking very tall, with a frown of disapproval wrinkling his face.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," Julie cried on her mother's shoulder. "Are I in lotsa trouble?"

"You scared your father and me to death, honey. How could you do that?" her mother scolded her lovingly.

"I dunno, Mummy."

"Looks to me like a good paddling is in order," Buck suggested. "Let's get you home, young Missy."

Julie threw her arms around her mother again and cried with increased intensity when she heard her father's threat. "I'm sorry. Do I hafta get paddled?"

"Shh, honey," her mother tried to calm her down. "Don't you realize what a dangerous thing you did by leaving me and running off on your own? If your daddy paddles you, it's because he loves you and doesn't want you doing something dangerous like that again."

"But I had to, Mummy. I was scared I wasn't gonna see Benny any more 'cause you said he's movin' far away."

"Yes, he is moving away, sweetheart. But you running away isn't going to change that."

"I know. I wasn't gonna run away forever, Mum. Just long enough so I could see Benny."

"It doesn't matter how long you were gonna be away. You were very naughty to leave in the first place," Buck explained with a hint of anger.

"Yes, Daddy." Julie gave her father a repentant pout which seemed to melt Buck's stern resolve.

"I know you're going to miss playing with Ben, honey, just as much as he's going to miss you," Mrs. Frobisher said as she began to wipe tears from Julie's face.

"Yeah. But, guess what, Mum? Ben said he could maybe still be my boyfriend when he moves, if his grandpa says it's okay." That remark elicited quick chuckles from all of the grown- ups, and I looked at Grandpa who responded with a smile and a wink.

"All right. We'd best be going now," Buck stated loudly.

"Are you still gonna paddle me when we get home, Daddy?"

Buck squirmed a bit then answered, non-committally, "We'll see."

In my experience, those words did not often portend a happy ending, so I took a few steps toward Buck and pleaded on Julie's behalf. "Please don't, Sir. Julie was scared, and I woulda brought her home tomorrow."

Buck approached and stood tall before me. "Well, Cadet Fraser, I don't think it's your place to be telling me how to discipline my own daughter."

"No, Sir."

"But, since you brought it up, you're not exactly blameless in this matter, are you?"

"No, Sir."

"You should've told your grandparents that Julie was here instead of hiding her in your room."

"I didn't want her to get in trouble, Sir."

"Yes, I see. Except she already was in trouble, wasn't she?"

"I guess so, Sir." I shifted my weight anxiously when Buck leaned down and put a hand on my shoulder. In those days it wasn't unheard of for a kid to get punished by someone else's parents.

"So all you accomplished was to get yourself in trouble as well, eh?"

"Yes, Sir," I answered penitently.

"Well..." Buck cleared his throat nervously, patted my shoulder, then stood straight, "...there you are then. 'Nuff said." It was eerie how much he sounded like my dad.

Mrs. Frobisher put Julie down so that we could say good-bye. Julie came over to me and we puckered for another sweet kiss on the lips, which I made a quick one so that Grandma wouldn't have time to interrupt us. "Thanks for lettin' me come in your house, Benny," Julie said with her arms around me in a close hug.

"You're welcome, Julie. I hope ya don't get a spankin', 'cause I don't want you to."

"You're the best boyfriend, even if you are movin' far."

I smiled and blushed as Julie kissed me again, on the cheek this time.

Buck took his daughter by the hand as he cleared his throat. "Good night, Cadet," he offered to me.

"G'night, Sir. I'm sorry I hided Julie from ya." I looked at the floor and shuffled my feet as I clasped my hands behind me and offered the supreme sacrifice. "You could, um, paddle my butt instead of Julie's, if you want."

"Well, now," Buck mused as if considering it, so I looked up at him. "That's very, er, chivalrous of you, young Fraser. But, why don't I leave you to your grandparents, eh?"

I nodded and whispered, "Yes, Sir."

Buck sent a quick wink my way, then he, Mrs. Frobisher, and Julie made their farewells to my grandparents and were gone. My grandparents eyed each other and then they both looked at me as I stood in the middle of the room, awaiting my comeuppance.

"Well, Ben..." Grandma began, then paused, as if she didn't know what else to say.

"I guess I'm gonna get it, huh?" I asked with as much remorse as I could muster.

Grandma sighed and took a seat on the couch. "Come here, honey." She took my hands in hers as I stood before her. "It's a very frightening thing to not know where your child is," she said, obviously alluding to past experience with me, and then appeared to be expecting a response.

"Uh huh."

"Some day, when you have children of your own, you'll understand."

I nodded, then paused, realizing I needed to explain my position. "Grandma?"

"Yes, Ben?"

"Julie was real scared outside by herself."

"Then perhaps she won't run off on her own again, eh?"

"Uh huh. Prob'ly not." I couldn't figure out where this conversation was headed, so I came out and asked. "Are ya real mad 'cause I let her come in my room?"

"No. If she'd come to me, I would have let her in, as well."

"Really?"

"Of course. But hiding her was not a good idea, Ben."

"I didn't know what else to do, Grandma."

"I see. Maybe if something like this ever happens again, you will know what to do."

"Maybe," I agreed, softly, trying not to sound sarcastic.

Grandma suddenly lowered her head slightly so she could increase the severity of her appearance by raising her eyebrows as she spoke. "And I'm quite certain you know that the rules do not allow you and Julie to be in bed together. Am I right, young man?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good, because I don't want to have to belabor this point with you."

"You don't hafta, Grandma." I wasn't sure what 'belabor' meant, but I could tell it was something I didn't want her to have to do, either. I decided to risk a little joke to lighten the situation. "I'll hide her someplace else next time," I said with a good-natured smirk on my face and heard Grandpa chuckling behind me.

"All right, smarty-pants!" she tried to rebuke me with a tug on my ear, but her smile betrayed her amusement. "You're as bad as the boy!" she vented her frustration on Grandpa, to which he responded by covering his face with his hand and turning away from us. "Do you know what I'd like you to do right now?" she asked, demanding my attention again with a shake of my hands, which she still held firmly in her own.

"No, Ma'am." It was imperative that I address her politely after indulging in cheekiness so that she would know I wasn't getting out of hand.

"I'd like you to get into bed and go to sleep with no more shenanigans so that Grandpa and I don't have to put up with a cranky, sleepy boy in the morning."

I couldn't suppress a smile, which broadened into a wide grin and then a giggle when Grandma smiled back at me. "Okay, Grandma," I chuckled.

Grandma and Grandpa tucked me into bed and kissed me good-night and, without my asking, Grandma cracked open my window.

"Grandma?" I called out just as they were about to leave the room.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"How'd you know Julie was in my room?"

"Oh, you can't hide anything from me, Ben. Haven't you learned that yet?"

"Nothin'?"

"Almost nothing, honey."

"Gosh," I bemoaned.

"For instance, that kiss I heard between you two when you were under the covers must have been a kiss on the cheek since I've told you that's the proper way for kids your age to behave. Right?"

I hesitated for a second, then replied with a smile that was safely hidden in the dark, "Yeah, it musta been."

Julie didn't get that paddling from her father. However, as her parents put her to bed that night, her mum gave her a quick slap on her bottom and confined her to her room for the entire next day. Four days later, my grandparents took me to the Frobishers to spend the day with Julie. She was elated to hear that my grandpa had said it was possible for me to continue being her boyfriend after we moved. Within a week, Grandma, Grandpa, and I had packed up and left Inuvik for our new home in Alert.

THE END
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